Steering-gear for automobiles.



G. S: HILL. STEERING-:GEAR FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLmATIoN FILED Nov. 20.1905.

927, 143, Patented July 6, 1909.

2 SHEETS-.SHEET 1.

G. S. HILL. STEERING'GBAR POR AUTOMOBILES. APPLIOATIMJ rILnn nov.zo.19o5.

927,143; Patented July 6, 1999.

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l l i UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

GEORGE S.' HILL, OF BRADFORD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR 'lO HILL MOTOR tA R COMPANY. OF HAVERHILL, IIASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION Ol" MAINE.

STEERING-GEAR FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

` Patented July 6, 1909.

.Application led November-.20, 1905. Serial No. 288,226.

and immediately adjacent to the steering post, which is usually supplied with a hand p wheel.

The object of theinventionis to provide a light, yet strong and simple mechanism to obtain increasedsteering movement with a minimum of hand movement.

further object is to provide improved means for holding the steering wheels of the vehicle locked untilpositively turned so as to avoid any possibility of accidental turning movement. 1 V

A further object is to providean improved construction of the casing to `'cimtain oil in which the gear is immersed.

To these ends'the invention consists in the'construction and combination of parts substantially as hereinafter described and claimed.

Ofthe accompanying dIawings,-Figilre 1 represents alongitudinal section through a ost and gear embodying the invention. `ig.`"2 represents a side elevation of the same, omitting the hand wheel. Fig.l 3 represents asection on line of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 represents an elevation on a reducedv scale, showing 'the device in the position which it occu- -pesjrelatively to a vehicle body, said figure also showing one steering wheel.

The same reference characters Indicate the same parts in all the figures.

The lower and upper parts of the casing are represented respectively at 1() and 11,:

said arts having flanges connected by suitable bolts 1-2. The lower part of the casing referab y extends' upward, as indicated in ig. 2., and is formed with a vertical face or end 14,

by means of which the entire casing and the steering gear sup orted thereby may be attached to a suita le part of the frame of the machine. i A A The upper part l'l'of the casing is f rmed with a tubeextension 15 in which is mounted a hollow or tubular steering post. 16 having a.

hand wheel 17 of an ordinary form. Keved to the lower end oll the post 16 is a slocvoilS, said sleeve being' practically a portion ol' the tubular steering post. The sleeve 1S is formed with an upper thread 19 and a lower thread 20 (see Fig'. 1), one of said ythreads being right-hand and the other left-hand. Fitting the upper thread 19 is a nut 21, hereinafter referred to as the racl: nut, said nut being formed with racli teeth 22 and with a key or feather 23 fitting between guiding ribs 26 projecting inward from a plate 24, the` latter being connected to the casing by screws 25. It will now be understood that. `when the post 16 and sleeve 1.8 are rotated and either held from longitudinal movement or limited in such movement, the rack nut 21 becomes a longitudinally slidingr member, since the coperation of the feather 23 and guiding ribs 26 prevents said nut from rotating.

The rack 22 of thc longitudinally sliding member or nut 21 engages the teeth of a segment 27 formed on. a huh 2Q which is secured to a rock-shaft 29 mounted in bearings 30, said rock-shaft having'an arm 3 1 secured thereto by means such as a binding nut 32, shown lin lFig. The end of the arm 31 is rovided with a pin havingr a spherical `sli a link 34 with anarm or lover 35 forminga aped end which is cornici-ted` by portion of the mechanism Awhich turnsth'c` steering wheels 36 on their usual vertical pivots. As the construction of the pivots on which the steering gears are mounted is well known and forms no part of the present invention, further illustration or description thereof is unnecessary. understood, .the steering member operated through the link 34 might be a device other than a Wheel, as for instance, the rudder of a motor boat. A portion of the 4frame of the vehicle i re' resented `at v37 in Fig. 4. i

ith the construction so far described, the rotation of thesteerin r post would effect movement of the steering devi ce only to'such a degree'as would be causedl by .the longitudinal movement of the rack nut 21, if the ost' itseltl had no longitudinal movement. ifo increase the movement` that would be construction which causes the steering post to move endwise when rotated. Tothi's endl an internally-threaded shell 38 15x/secured 1n 1,10

imparted to the steering device, `I provides.

the lower part 10 ot the casing, and in effect, forms a stationary nut engaging the lower threads of the sleeve 18. Ol course the stationary shell or nut 3S is threaded to cor respond with the threads 20, and since the direction of the thread 20 is opposite to that of the thread' 19, the movement; of the longitudinally sliding member or nut 2 1 relatively to the stationary nut 38 will be doubled when the handwhcel 17 and post 16 are rotated. At the same time, the connections provide means which would prevent any accidental movement of the steering device, since the f pitch of the threads is such that no strain .exerted upon the arm 31 of therock-shait could operate through the segment 27 to shift either the longitudinally sliding member 21 or the'steering post endwise, As will be readily understood, the steering post, by having Aits lower end carried by a nxed part,

such as the nut 38, in addition to the support afforded by the extension 15, will be held rmly against any movement other than the @longitudinal movement lhereinbeiore descri ed, the Widely separated position of these supports preventing any tendency to a rocking ol the ost with a resultant liability of damage to t e post and the mechanism operated thereby.

Secured to the lower end ofthe casing member 10 is a bottom cap 39 having a central opening in which is secured the lower end of a tube 40, the latter .projecting upward preferably to a point above the horizontal plane of the intermeshing movable parts of the gearing.. Saidtubc serves to guide and protect the usual connections for controlling the spark timer of the motor, and at the same-time prevents the escape of any oil throughv the opening of the bottom cap. When the parts are being assembled, and before thetwo parts; of the casing and the plate 24 are completely put together, the

f casing is supplied as much oil as it wilA contain so. that at least the lower portion of the gearing will be i ersed in oil. The level of the oil needn t be above the upper thread 19 because the longitudinal movements of the steering post and its sleeve 18, and the rack nut 21, will cause the oil to be transmitted to a point suilicientlyhigh tolreepthe parts Well lubricated.

As. above stated, the tubular post enables the spark-timing connections to be led OwingQto the fact that the tubular post is supported at two separated positions, one` above andthe other below the point where power is communicated to the steering gear, the said tubular post can be made of quite light material; that is, the sleeve 18, or lower portion of the post, does not require to be made of such heavy or strong material as would be necessary if it had butone bearing.

It will be observed that if it should be desired to obtain access to the gearing in the casing for such urp'oses as cleaning the same, the rcmovall of the bolts 12 4and the screws 25 which connect the plate 24 with the upper part et the casing, will enable said upper part ci' the casing and its tube eXtensien 15 `to be slid upward on the post 16 where they may remain or be held during the cleaningcr examination of the gearing.

I claimsw4 1. A steering gear comprising a.tubular.

post having oppositely-threaded sections, a t casing having an.internally-threaded shell or nut iixed therein and `engaging one ofthe' H threads of said post, the engagement of the nut and post being at the lower end of the latter, anut 4engaging the other thread of the post and having means wherebyv it is prevented from rotating, a support for the post carried by said casing above said nuts, and steering connections operated by said nonrotating nut,

3. A steering gear comprising a post hav-y in'g oppositelythreaded sections, a casing 'having an internally-threaded shell or nut fixed therein and engaging one ofthe threads of said post, a nut engaging the other thread of the posthaving rack teeth and provided" with means for preventing its rotation, a toothed segment engaging said rack teeth, and connections between said toothed segment and the steering member of a vehicle.

4. An automobile steering gear com ris-' ing a two-part shell or. casing, a nut ed therein, a `steering post having a threaded portion engaging said nut and .having an-v other portion threaded in a direction opposite thereto, a rack nut iitting'the last-mentioned thread of the post and having means engaging the casing to' prevent rotation of said nut, a toothed segment engaging the rack of said nut, and connections between said segment and the steering member of a vehicle. 4

5. An automobile steering gear comprising an upwardly extending two-part casing, the

lower member of said casing having a bracket or arm extending therefrom and terminating in a vertical endf face for connecting it to the frame oi'l a vehicle, a steering post mounted in said casing in a manner'to permit longitudinal movement therein, a rock-shaft also mounted in said casing, and gearing located in vsaid casing for transmitting motion from .i

the post to said rock-shaft.

6. Asteerin meehanismeomprisin a oas- 8. A steering mechanism for self-propelled ing having a Xed nut and `a/movab e nut, vehicles, comprising a steering post, screws said casing inclosing the movable nut and rigidly mounted end to end upon the post, a screws and provided with a lengthwise guide Xed threaded part engaged with one of the for the movable mit, screws of opposite `screws and an axially movable threaded part pitch each engaging one of the nuts, a rock; engaging the other screw, a fixed casing inarm actuated bythe `movable nut7 and a closing said screws and axiall movable steering post for rotating the screws. l threaded part andv provided wit a length- 7. A steering mechanism for sel-prowise guide for said axially movable threaded pelled vehicles comprising a steering post, art, an oscillatory element actuated by the right and lefthand screws'rigid on the post, a r ast named threaded part and a shifting elecasing having a fixed nut engaging one of the ment rigid with the oscillatory element. screws, an axially movable nut engaging the In testimony whereof I have aiiixed my other screw, said casing inclosing the movable signature, in presence of two witnesses.

nut and screws and provided with a length- GEORGE S. HILL. wise guide for the movable nut, and a shift n. ing element actuated by the axially movable nut.

- Witnesses:

M. B. MAY, e v C. C. STECKER. 

